Jade Rose
by DragonKin Myrna
Summary: Leo returns after having been captured by a genetics lab. He and his brothers try and find out what the serum now coursing through him will do to him and their only source of answers lie with Annie, the young woman who gave it to him in first place. But getting answers will mean untangling a complex web of secrets that Annie has circling around and Leo learning to trust her again.
1. Chapter 1

Jade Chrysanthemum

Chapter 1: Leo Returns

Ragged breathing was the only sound that echoed through the tunnel like sewers as a leaf green turtle struggled forwards. His breath was misting in front of him in an early cold snap that had come at the end of September. Finally he reached a familiar section of the brick wall, he quickly entered the access code and stumbled inside. The rush of warm air was like heaven to his battered body. He heard a sharp inhale of breath and looked up into the faces of three stunned turtles.

"Hey guys." He said softly with a tired smile.

"Leo!" three voices shouted and the three turtles rushed forward. Enveloping Leo in a warm hug as well as keeping him from falling over. Leo sighed happily and leaned on his brothers, soaking up their warmth and affection. Oh how he had missed this during the last month and a half.

"You came back!" Mikey said with a watery laugh.

"Of course I did, not even Lord Simultaneous could keep me away from you guys." Leo said giving the youngest a comforting squeeze. After another minute or so Raph pulled back slightly and suggested they move to the couch so that Leo could rest and they could get Splinter. Mikey dashed off to find their Sensei while the other three moved to the couch.

Leo sat down with a grateful sigh, he opened one eye when he felt a blanket settle over him and a heavy weight lean on his right shoulder. Raph gave him and slight glare that dared Leo to asked him to move. Leo smiled and wrapped his arm around his hot headed brother who clung even tighter to Leo.

"He's been a mess since you disappeared. Wouldn't quit blaming himself and running himself into the ground to try and find you." Donnie explained as he pulled a chair up next to Leo, his medical kit in hand. Raph grumbled something but refused to leave his spot against Leo. The oldest turtle just chuckled softly and rubbed a hand on Raph's bicep.

"Leonardo." The blue masked turtle looked up and found Master Splinter striding towards him with a warm smile. The aged rat gathered his oldest into a strong embrace, "I am glad that you have returned to us safely."

"I'm glad to be home Sensei." Leo said, exhaustion heavy in his voice. Mikey made his way over and plopped down on the floor leaning against Leo's legs while Donnie began tending to any injuries he had.

"My son, I understand that you are tired and have had a most grueling trial. But I must know what has happened to you and how you were taken." Master Splinter said settling in his chair. Leo nodded in understanding and took a deep settling breath before he began to tell them about his six long weeks as a lab rat.

~Flash Back~

Leo raced alongside his brothers as they flew over the roof tops of New York city. This was not a pleasure run or leisure patrol to work out some kinks. They were running for their lives. Glancing over his shoulder Leo grimaced, the Foot Elite were still tailing them, they had been running from the enemy nin for more than half an hour at a grueling pace. Looking at his brothers Leo could see that they were being to tire and fast. He scanned the area, hoping for someplace that they could hide in and rest for a bit before returning home. Flying around a corner Leo spotted a dilapidated group of apartments, it would work for now. He signaled his brothers and put on a burst of speed, making sure that he was between his brothers and the Elite as they headed for the apartments. Once inside they all headed for the darkest corners they could find. Leo stepped into a room only for a strange beep to go off. That was all the warning he had before the world went dark and he heard Raph scream his name.

Groaning Leo opened his eyes as he regained consciousness, the heavy feeling in his limbs let him know that he had been drugged. Looking around he noticed that he was now in a dimly lit steel and concrete cell of some kind with a thick steel door in front of it. Manacles and chains bound his wrists in front of him. Growling he pushed himself onto his feet to get a better feel of his surroundings. At that time the door opened and a small group of people stood just inside the door way. Standing at the front of the group was a tall woman with shoulder length brown hair and a looking in her hazel eyes that Leo did not like one bit. The same look was mirrored in most of others standing around her.

"Fascinating! It stands on two feet, almost like a human." The woman murmured, the group behind her jotting notes down on clipboards in a frenzy, "Well my friend, I wonder just what secrets we are going to learn from you. Come on now, don't be shy." The woman cooed trying to coax Leo over. Leo merely adopted a casual stance and glared at her. This seemed to stun and confuse her, Leo was about to make a break for it when one crazy clipboard writer began freaking out.

"It's showing aggression! Dr Hazarah please we must step out before it lashes out!" the man exclaimed. The woman seemed to agree and the group left in a flurry of shouts. Leo growled in frustration and was about to see how strong the door was when he heard them speaking.

"I am not about to destroy that creature! It could be the key that I need to finish this project!" the one called Dr. Hazarah seethed.

"We understand that, and we feel the same about the project as you. The last thing we need however is for you to be mauled by that thing. As your assistants and advisors we would like to suggest that you send in someone, expendable." A smooth voice suggested. Leo clenched his fists, they were will to put some poor human in with what they considered and aggressive animal? These people were monsters.

"Hmm, I see your point. Very well then, send in that girl from section 479-A, see if she can get some results from the creature. If so I want it to be her top priority, I don't care if she's made headway on the serum this is her new focus." Dr. Hazarah ordered. There was more activity and the sound of steps receding before all was quiet again.

Leo moved around the cell for a few more minutes trying to see if there was a weak spot of any kind but there were none. He sat on the pallet of blankets in frustration and tried not to think about what was going to happen to him when the locks on the door clicked again. Jumping to his feet Leo adopted a battle ready stance. He wasn't going anywhere without a fight. The door opened enough for one person and in stepped the last thing he'd expect.

A woman with tawny hair, and jade green eyes that were devoid of the wicked glint held by the previous humans. She was petite and short, Leo stood head and shoulders taller than her. Her hair was held back in a pony-tail and she wore dark brown cargo pants, a blue crew neck t-shirt, tennis shoes, and a white lab coat. The door shut behind her as she stood and met Leo's gaze.

"Um, Hello?" she ventured tentatively. Leo narrowed his eyes at her, she quickly glanced over her shoulder at the door before sighing in relief and turning back to Leo, "I'm Annie, what's your name?"

Leo stared at her, was this girl serious? Did she just ask him his name like she would when meeting someone new at work?

"This is probably pretty strange for you, going from being labeled as an animal to me speaking normally to you. And no I'm not psychic, I just know that you are highly intelligent and not what Dr. Hazarah thinks you are." Annie told him gently. Leo glared at her, she was tiny and fragile compared to him. One quick move and he could have her incapacitated on the floor. Or in a hospital, a part of his mind supplied. Another quick look over Annie made him rethink his escape options. She was tiny, and huddled against the door with her notepad clutched to her chest, green eyes flicking around nervously, she was scared of Leo.

Sighing Leo went back over to his pallet and sat down. He couldn't hurt this human, his entire being fought against that thought. Soft footsteps brought his gaze back up to Annie who was now partially crouch in front of him with a worried look on her face.

"Hey, are you ok?" she asked. She looked genuinely concerned.

"No, I don't know where I am, or what is going to happen to me." Leo said. The weight of his situation starting to settle.

"Well, I can answer both of those questions although you never really answered my first one." Annie said with a nervous laugh. Leo shot her a look, "Not that it's a problem! I just didn't want to give you a test tube name or something like that!" Annie stammered. Leo wondered how this girl even got a job here if she was this jumpy.

"My name is Leo." He ground out. That seemed to momentarily stun Annie but she shook it off and wrote something down before looking back at him.

"Ok then, Leo, to answer your questions you are in a genetics lab. You are here because Dr. Hazarah is studying anomalies in evolution and you apparently fit that criteria." Annie told him. She still seemed very nervous about something, Annie quickly glanced around the room before dipping her hand in her pocket and taping something. She then dropped to a crouch directly in front of Leo.

"Ok, I can't not tell what is really going on, but at the same time I really don't want anyone finding out that I told you classified info. The out come is not pretty. Just know that Dr. Hazarah is not really studying anomalies in evolution, she is trying to speed up and create the perfect evolution." Annie whispered. Leo stared at her in shock, "And she sees you as proof that it is happening so now she wants to test out her theory."

"And I am guessing that is a bad thing." Leo murmured.

"I can't tell you anything more, I am sorry. But I do have some good news." She said with a wan smile. Leo quirked a brow at her, "Since I am going to walk out that door in the same condition that I entered it, you won't be turned into a walking pincushion. Any and all tests that they want done have to now be cleared and observed by me." Annie said straightening up and heading for the door.

"How is that good news?" Leo growled.

"Because I can try and make this bearable for you, and keep you out of Hazarah's lab." Annie said.

"What would really make me happy is if you got me out of here." Leo told her. Annie paused by the door, she gave him a sad look the made his heart clench.

"I would if I could Leo. I really would try but I can't." Annie said and with that she left. Leo sat back against the wall and let his mind race. He was now a lab rat and would probably never see his family again. Slowly he slipped into a dreamless sleep hoping his brothers were not here as well.

The next day Leo woke up to the sound of his door being unlocked. In stepped Dr. Hazarah and Annie who looked like she had just seen a horror flick. Leo looked at them both but stayed sitting on his pallet.

"Well, Annie. You said that it is not dangerous, now show me." Dr. Hazarah said with a smile at Leo. Annie swallowed hard and began walking slowly towards Leo. He could see the plea in her eyes for him not to doing anything stupid. Leo decided that he would show this mad Dr. that he was not some mindless creature like she thought. He rose slowly to his feet and met Annie half way, nodding to her in greeting and keeping his posture relaxed. Annie seemed to relax as well and she gave him a relieved smile and a nod in return.

"Amazing! So calm around females, I wonder why that is!" Dr. Hazarah exclaimed. She moved rapidly toward Leo who quickly ducked behind Annie and growled low in his throat, his posture now defensive and ready to fight, "What is going on? It was fine just a second ago!"

"Dr. Hazarah, please step back. He is not comfortable around you." Annie said calmly.

"What? Why would it not be? You said it was mellow yesterday." Dr. Hazarah hissed. Leo watched as Annie turned and faced the Dr. her back was straight, posture strong and stubborn.

"He, Dr., He is male and He is not comfortable with you around. He accepted me yesterday and I would like to start on some basic tests today. You said you only needed proof him being calm and that I could get started. You never said that He had to be calm around you, so long as he is calm around me I think it would be wise for me to start on my work." Annie said. Leo stared at her in shock. Annie's voice was calm, commanding, and she had just challenged this crazy lady when just minutes ago she looked ready to faint.

"Very well." Dr. Hazarah sniffed, "Begin tests immediately but don't think that I am letting this little act of aggression from you go. I will expect stellar results in three weeks Annie, if I don't have them. Well, I don't think I need to elaborate on the consequences now do I?" with that Dr. Hazarah strode off down the hall. Leo looked at Annie and saw her shoulders slump before she turned back to him with a fake smile on her face.

"So, you ready to get this show on the road?" she asked with a nervous laugh. Leo merely nodded and followed her out the door and into what became his routine.

The next three weeks consisted of Annie retrieving Leo in the mornings and starting with a series of warm up exercises to test his flexibility. Years of ninja training guided him through this with ease. Then Annie would take DNA, blood, skin, and shell samples from him as gently as she could. She seemed determined to keep Leo as comfortable as possible. Then Leo would go for his water tests, to see how long he could say under and how long he lasted in varying degrees of water temperature. Annie nearly had a fit when someone tried to drop the water to near artic temperatures while Leo was still on the water. He secretly enjoyed watching the petite girl chase a bunch of men in lab coats around with a clipboard. After that Annie had refused any kind of assistants, observers, or other personnel around during testing and had given Leo a two hour nap under several large heating lamps.

Every other day Leo was subjected to needles filled with different chemical mixtures to see how he held up against them. During this time Annie became increasingly irate and nervous. Lashing out at anyone who tried to give Leo too much of something and almost having nervous break downs if he started reacting badly.

Through it all Leo remained almost completely silent. Never speaking to anyone other than Annie who would translate his glares to anyone who pestered him. Over time Leo began to acknowledge a small friendship with his care taker. She was polite, gentle, and concerned for his wellbeing and even let him talk her ears off whenever he needed to rant about something. He even told her about his ninja training and soon found tai chi and an obstacle course added to his routine.

The response back came sooner than expected and Leo was introduced into a more grueling routine. Durability against electricity, how he handled a fight, and how he held up against new toxins were just some of the few he had to endure. Through it all Leo grit his teeth and retained his silence. During all of this he noticed that Annie was the lowest ranking member on the lab's totem pole and was often harassed. Leo tried to return some of the kindness she had shown him by glaring at anyone who got close to her and offering to let her vent to him. Annie merely smiled at him and thanked him but kept quiet other than asking how he was doing and making sure he was comfortable. This continued for two more weeks and everyday Leo felt himself grow weaker from the testing and was worried that he would never leave. Until his new life took a U turn.

Leo lay on his pallet feeling exhausted. They had tried to drown him today, then expected him to fight a genetically messed up tiger with two different kinds of synthetically made super venoms coursing through him. He'd won the fight and the blacked out, waking up an hour later to a pale faced Annie as she stitch his wounds. The look on her face had been grim and when she met his eyes Leo noticed a look of deep resignation that had him on edge. He wondered what was going on with her as he drifted off. Not five minutes later his door swung open. Leo forced his eyes open and saw Annie in the door way.

"Seriously? I thought I was done for the day." Leo moaned as Annie entered the room, shutting the door quickly. She kept her back to Leo and the blue masked turtle sat up slowly as the atmosphere darkened, "Annie?" the tawny haired girl suddenly darted over to him and seized his chained wrists. A key appeared out of nowhere and she quickly divested Leo of his chains and tugged him to his feet.

"What? Annie what was that all about?" Leo asked looking at her with wide brown eyes. Annie remained silent and looked at the floor, her expression was one of grim determination and fear. Not a combination that eased Leo's mind. A tiny hand seized his wrist and Leo as suddenly being dragged out of the room. He started to tug back but Annie tightened her grip.

"Don't!" she hissed, staring straight ahead, "I'm never going to get the courage to do this again so don't fight me." Leo could hear the plea in her words. Taking a deep breath he moved closer to her which Annie took as a sign to keep moving. She lead Leo on a winding path through the dim hallways. They past labs that Leo did not recognize and never wanted to see again before stopping outside of a steel door that for some reason looked felt like the entrance to a forbidden room. Annie tapped in a sequence on a digital lock pad and the door hissed open. She tugged Leo in after her and the door slid shut again.

"Ok, what is going on Annie?" Leo asked once the doors were shut and she let go of his wrist. Annie darted around the room with near frantic purpose. She stayed silent as she tapped on several different keyboards, "Annie!" Leo hissed. Annie's fingers froze on the computer, she leaned heavily against it and sighed heavily. When she looked at Leo he felt his heart freeze.

"Remember when I said I could keep you out of Hazarah's lab?" she asked softly. Leo nodded, afraid to speak, "Well, it turns out, that I was wrong. I am so sorry Leo. But I can't keep you safe from her while you are here. You are scheduled to begin genetic enhancement testing tomorrow morning. That's why everyone left early, to give you time to rest for tomorrow." Annie explained as her eyes misted with tears. Leo had been wondering why everyone suddenly packed up and left after Annie had given him the anti-venom.

"But that does not explain why you brought me here." Leo said slowly. Dread creeping into his stomach, he had a bad feeling about this. Annie turned to a large desk and opened a compartment underneath it. When she turned back around she held several familiar items. Leo's arm and wrist bands, knee pads, belts, and katanas "What? How did? I thought they had been destroyed." Leo whispered taking them from Annie, lovingly caressing the swords.

"They were supposed to be, but after seeing your fighting style I managed to rescue them." Annie told him.

"Thank you so much! You have no idea what these mean to me!" Leo said strapping on his gear and drawing his swords. He gave a few experimental swings, reveling in the hiss of the blade through the air, "Although this still does not explain anything." Leo said. He never saw Annie extract a syringe full of a clear substance, or that it began to glow a soft blue color and that Annie gazed at him first in shock, then in raw determination. Leo hissed when he felt a sting in his shoulder, then the room began to sway. Turning around woozily he looked at Annie, who stood shaking with a now empty syringe in her hand.

"What did you do to me?" Leo hissed. Staggering towards her, nearly collapsing against a table.

"Kept you out of Hazarah's lab for good." Annie said cooly. She grabbed Leo's arm and dragged him over to a wall. With his blurry vision he saw Annie fiddle with something before the wall slid open and revealed a strange looking elevator. With a strength belying her small form Annie nearly threw Leo into the elevator, "Stay underground! And whatever you do don't stop moving, there are no microchips or trackers on you but Hazarah will still search for you. I wish you the best Leo, and I never want to see you here again." With that she shut the doors and Leo felt himself plunge underground. For a few terrifying minutes Leo rushed down into the earth in a steel trap. Finally the doors opened and he found himself back in the sewers. Leo was woozy, in pain from the testing, and angry at Annie for what she did to him before sending him away, but at least he could now try and find his way home.

 **~End of Flash Back~**

Leo took a deep breath and leaned heavily back into the couch, telling the story had brought back the feeling of betrayal when Annie injected the unknown substance into his veins. Since then he'd been fatigued and had a constant ache in his muscles and his head.

"Shell Leo." Mikey whispered from beside his legs on the floor. Raph clung to Leo as if his mere presence would fix what had happened to his older brother. Don looked livid but stayed silent.

"I am truly sorry that you had to go through that my son, though I am grateful to this Annie. She gave you the chance to come home at a risk to her career, we should be grateful to her for that." Splinter said with a look at Leo. The rat rose to his feet and smiled at his sons, "I suggest you all get some sleep, do not worry about training. That will resume when Leonardo has fully recovered from his ordeal." With that Splinter hugged each of his sons good night and retired to his room. Mikey got up and disappeared with Don for a bit before coming back with two large mattresses, blankets, and pillows.

"I figured it would be easier to sleep out here than in our rooms since we won't be able to stay in them tonight." Mikey said sheepishly. Leo smiled at his youngest sibling and nodded. Soon the two mattresses had been turned into a nest of pillows and blankets. Leo was helped into it and once he settled down his brothers snuggled as close as they could to him until they were a pile of limbs and shells. Leo hummed contentedly as he drifted off to sleep, warm on all sides and with the sounds of his family around him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello wonderful readers, here is a new chapter of Jade Rose! And just to clarify these are the 2k3 turtles. Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I look forward to any and all reviews!**

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Chapter 2: We Meet Again

After making it home, Leo took nearly two weeks to heal from his time at the genetics lab. His body was in a constant state of aching and he was always tired, never able to keep his eyes open for more than a couple of hours at a time before sleeping for the rest of the day. When he slept Leo would thrash in his sleep, tormented by nightmares until one of his brothers calmed him down.

During all of this Raph was his near constant companion. They still bickered off and on but not the heated fights they used to have before Leo was captured. The blue masked turtle later learned that the little fights were Raph's way of trying to help him feel normal and not babied even though the red masked turtle hovered nearby all the time. Leo now just smiled at his brother and leaned on him when he had trouble walking, he even picked back at Raph's attempts to argue but it was always done with a smile. Raph also became Leo's therapist, helping him stretch and run through all of the training he'd missed. The red masked turtle was determined to get Leo fighting fit again and Leo was a willing patient so training progressed quickly.

Mikey was just a bad as Raph when it came to hovering except his was over Leo's diet and now poor eating habits. He'd been fed very little during test and the chemicals made it hard to keep down whatever he was given. As result Leo was fairly scrawny and did not want to eat much. Mikey was appalled when he heard this and began his assault on the kitchen. Determined to build Leo back up to normal weight and eating habits Mikey stunned them all with his knowledge of healthy cooking, since he was a renowned junk food-a-holic. He started Leo on smoothies in the morning, some kind of soup and bread in the afternoons, and light meats with veggies in the evenings with all kinds of little snacks in between. Needless to say Leo slowly began to eat more regularly and soon rediscovered his appetite and Mikey now had the challenge of keeping up with it.

Donnie had gone overboard into Dr. mode, taking blood samples, providing antidotes to the chemicals in Leo system, and vitamins to rebuild his immune system. Donnie was determined to find out what the strange serum in Leo's body was doing to his older brother but the most he could find was that it was the cause of Leo's fatigue. While this was not reassuring seeing Leo regain his health gave Donnie some peace of mind that it was not harming his significantly. Donnie also started doing some digging on Annie, seeing if he could find her and track her down. If he could get a sample of the serum from her he could cure Leo completely.

Finally after three weeks of observation from his family Leo was deemed fighting fit. He was still a bit underweight but he proved that did not hinder him in battle when he threw Raph across the dojo.

"Well done Leonardo." Master Splinter said with a smile on his face, "Despite your capture and aliments you fought back and have become much stronger."

"I'll say! Yeesh Leo, where did you learn to do that?" Raph asked as he regained his feet. He had a big grin on his face.

"You learn a lot of new moves on the fly when fighting genetically enhanced animals, I learned that one while fighting a bear." Leo said with a grin of his own.

"Dude! You fought a bear? How are you not, you know, covered in scars and maimed?" Mikey asked. His baby blue eyes wide.

"Annie." Leo said though he bit out her name angrily, "She always made sure that I never got seriously injured and patched me up if I got a scratch."

"My son, try not to be so angry with this young woman. It sounds like she did a lot for you." Master Splinter admonished gently.

"She tried, but then she injected who knows what into me when she said that I would never be experimented on like that. Yes they tested chemicals on me but I knew what they were. Annie did something to me that is changing me, I can feel it and I don't like it." Leo said with a frown.

"Ah ha! Yes!" an excited shout from the lad made the three brothers in the dojo shudder just a bit. Sometimes it was not good when Donnie got excited.

"Leo! Leo I found her!" Donnie said racing out of the lab, an excited gleam in his eyes.

"Found who Don?" Mikey asked.

"Annie! The girl who gave Leo the serum, which by the way is changing you yes but not in a bad way as far as I can tell." Donnie said still smiling.

"What is it doing to me?" Leo asked feeling worried still.

"From what I have gathered the serum is merely increasing your overall strength, durability, stamina, mental capacity, boosted your immune system, and even sped up your healing process." Donnie replied, "But that is not why I got so excited."

"Seriously? You are not over the moon that our brother is becoming some kind of super mutant?" Mikey asked incredulously.

"Give me a few hours and I will be. I got excited because Annie will be easy to find, and get answers from." Donnie replied.

"Ok, you've got my attention." Leo said folding his arms loosely over his chest.

"Ditto." Raph growled.

"Right, well it seems that your little friend may in fact work for a massive genetics lab that is supposed to dole out top of the line protection for its workers. Annie however is the only one working without any kind of protection whatsoever." Donnie explained.

"What?" Leo exclaimed.

"Yeah, she lives alone in a fairly nice apartment but with no guards, she is also several miles away from where the rest of her co-workers live. Which means, we could sneak into her place without worrying about being seen and you being recognized Leo." Donnie said with a grin.

"Well then what are we waiting for? I say we pay this chick a visit and make her cure Leo before this serum comes back to bite us in the shell." Raph said drawing his sais.

"My sons!" Master Splinter barked getting their attention, "While I understand your need to answer the questions revolving around the serum, I do not want any of you to harm this young woman. She saved your brother's life, that alone grants her the right to be treated with respect and honor." Splinter stated firmly.

"Yes Sensei." They all said grudgingly. Master Splinter nodded and the four brothers quickly left the lair, more than ready to get answers about the serum.

The night air was cool and crisp, and it was like heaven for Leo. The blue masked turtle took in a deep breath as he ran across the roof tops. Free, for the first time in what felt like years, he was free to run again and at his leisure. Raph ran beside him and had a huge grin on his face. The red masked turtle shifted and swiped good naturedly at his older brother. Leo blocked it and playfully slipped Raph's mask so that it only showed one amber eye.

"Hey!" Raph tried to growl but was laughing too much to do so.

"Leo, we are getting close." Donnie said coming up to join his brothers. Leo nodded and they took off again.

"Ok, we are near the bay now, that's the apartment complex where Annie lives." Donnie said pointing at a large structure with mostly dark windows.

"Man, that place is huge!" Raph whispered.

"And the rooms are dirt cheap, not to mention the fact that we could live there and nobody would notice. The only floor really inhabited is the ground floor, everything else is deserted. Why, I don't know. Now we just have to make sure she is home and alone." Donnie said.

"Is she a short, really tiny, blonde chick that could use some anxiety therapy?" Mikey asked from his upside down position on a water tower.

"Yes, why Mikey?" Leo asked slowly.

"Well, she is definitely home and definitely alone." Mikey said nonchalantly, "Although I've got to say that I feel bad for her. Poor girl looks like she had a run in with Stockman." Mikey said handing a pair of Donnie's binoculars to Leo.

Sure enough, on the fifth story there was a lit window close to the alley beside the building. Leo looked on for a few more seconds until a slim and familiar form stopped by the window. It was Annie and she really did look like crap. He felt a brief pang of guilt but quickly shoved it aside.

"Alright, let's go." Leo said softly. With barely a whisper of sound he led his brothers over to the building, using the alley ways as cover. Once they reached Annie's side of the building they discovered fire escapes that would lead them up to her window. Silently they flew up it, reaching the fifth floor. Leo peered inside the window and saw Annie, or at least the back of her as she was not facing their direction.

"Hmmm, she's a little skinny for my taste otherwise she's got a nice little figure." Raph mused in a nonchalant tone. Leo bopped him on the head and Raph just chuckled. Carefully the slid the window open and slipped inside just as a breeze ruffled Annie's hair. Leo was glad that they had hidden so quickly. As soon as the breeze touched her Annie had stiffened and whirled around. Her green eyes wide and her posture suggested that she was ready to bolt. Instead of going towards the window Annie started to back towards a door. That's when Leo gave the signal for his brothers to reveal themselves and stood up just to the left and behind her.

"Fancy meeting you again." Leo said coolly. Annie whirled on him so fast he thought she broke her spine. Her eyes got even bigger, "What? No hello?" he asked with irritable sarcasm. What he did not expect was the very large text book that nailed him in the face.

"You idiot!" Annie yelled. Leo rubbed his sore beak in surprise, he had not been expecting that kind of a reaction, "What are you doing here?! I told you to get as far away as possible!" Annie said in a frantic tone.

"Whoa, ok she is officially getting kudos for that Bro." Mikey said with barely controlled laughter from his spot near the couch. Annie squeaked and whirled to face him.

"What the?" she asked more to herself.

"Hey!" A deep voice with a distinct Brooklyn brogue growled from behind her. Annie turned and just about fainted at the sight of a ticked off Raphael, "You do that again and we'll see how you like a book chucked at your head."

"Raph that kind of goes against what Master Splinter said about not harming her." Donnie said coming to stand beside Leo who was still nursing a sore face. Annie, who was temporarily forgotten, started sneaking back towards the door again. She was half way there when Raph spotted her.

"Where do you think you are going?" he growled, advancing on her. This soon proved to be the wrong move. Annie froze like a deer in headlights, before bolting for the door. Raph was on her in seconds, reaching for her only to miss as she swerved and darted towards Mikey. The apartment was good sized but the four turtles where bigger than Annie and had some trouble maneuvering around while staying silent. Annie had no such problems being smaller, lighter, and her speed was driven by fear.

Raph turned to try and pen her in with Mikey. As they closed in on her Annie ducked out of the way, bolting back for the door while Raph plowed into Mikey. Annie raced for the door, her hand closed around the doorknob and just as she began to open the door she was tackled from behind. The force of the tackle sent both her and her assailant tumbling into the room.

"Gotcha." Donnie said coolly. He had remembered Splinters warning and had carefully Folded himself around Annie so that when she fell He took the brunt of the fall and then rolled to a crouching position over her to block any kind of escape. Not that the fall was a hard one with the thick carpets. A quick glance around the room showed that it was Annie's bed room and Donnie was surprised to find it bare, only a bed with a simple deep blue bed spread, a couple of pillows on the bed, a night stand with a lamp, and a dresser. No pictures, science fair prizes, awards, nothing. Something about the set up of the room nagged at Donnie but it was soon forgotten when he glanced down at his catch.

Annie was curled into a tight defensive ball, one arm covering her head the other held protectively to her chest. Her eyes were squeezed shut ad she had drawn her knees up to her chest as she lay trembling under the purple masked turtle.

Donnie instantly went from ninja mode to ninja Dr. mode. He released the grip he'd had on Annie's shoulder and dropped down onto one knee. His position over her now was protective as he began to gently run his hands over her, looking for injuries of any kind. Donnie felt his nerves spike as Annie flinched at every touch. He tried to get her out of her ball but she just got even smaller, if that was possible.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Are you hurt? You need to relax a bit so I can check for injuries, come on." Donnie coaxed softly. Annie shifted just a bit and opened her eyes to meet his brown ones. Donnie was shock by them, he sat there as Annie started to unwind and a flash of white on her arm caught his eyes.

"Yo! Don! You alright!" Raph growled as he made his way into the room with Leo beside him. Annie flinched and nearly tucked back into a ball. Donnie quickly blocked Raph from her line of sight and threw a small glare over his shoulder at his two big brothers.

"Don?" Leo asked.

"I'm fine Leo, but right now you two need to back out slowly and keep your voices down." Donnie said in a low voice, "Something is wrong and you two are not helping me figure it out." Leo nodded and backed out of the room carefully with Raph.

"Ok, that was weird. What the shell is going on in there?" Raph asked.

"I'm not sure but that was Don in Dr. mode, so something about Annie set him off." Leo mused. Mikey had been sneaking over to the door way when Donnie appeared in it and made a bee line for the kitchen. The three turtles watched him disappear for a moment then come back with an arm full of medical supplies and a syringe in hand. The purple masked turtles strides were brisk and agitated as he walked past his family and into the room with Annie.

"Don? What's going on?" Leo asked in a leader tone from the doorway. He felt his throat clench just a bit when he saw Donnie carefully prick Annie with a needle and empty the syringe into her arm. The effect was immediate and Annie took a huge shuddering breath, Donnie was immediately on her with a stethoscope, "What was that all about?" Leo asked feeling a little stunned.

"Fear toxin." Annie gasped. Leo felt his hands form fists and saw Donnie's brow furrow in irritation. Annie looked up and the second she saw Leo he was glad she didn't have another book, "What are you doing here?! I told you to hide!" Annie shouted. Leaping to her feet she started towards Leo, only for her to sway and nearly hit the floor in a dizzy spell.

"Whoa! Hold on there a minute, you can yell at him just fine from the bed." Donnie said as he caught Annie and placed her on the foot of the bed.

"Why are you even yelling at him in the first place?" Mikey asked poking his head around Leo's shoulder, "And before you yell at him, do you need another book to throw at him?" Mikey asked with a grin. Earning him a smack from Raph.

"I'm yelling at him because I told him I never wanted to see him anywhere near the genetics lab again." Annie said glaring at Leo.

"We are currently an hour away from your lab." Leo stated crossing his arms over his chest.

"And that is still too close! So to answer you over there in in orange's second question, yes I would like another book to throw at him." Annie said with a small growl.

"One Grey's Anatomy text coming up!" Mikey sped off to hunt down the monstrous book.

"Since we are on the subject of answering questions We've got a few to ask you." Raph said with a growl.

"Before you start grilling her Raph, I would like answers as to why you had fear toxins in you and why you have a massive Hydrochloric acid burn on your left arm?" Donnie said as he peeled back the bandages, they had been the white he'd seen on her arm earlier. Leo had to grit his teeth at the sight of the burn, it nearly covered her entire forearm from wrist to elbow.

"Simple really." Annie said with a small resigned smile, "I got these as punishment from Dr. Hazarah for setting Leo free."

Leo felt like he'd been kicked in the gut, beside him Raph stiffened and Donnie drew in a hissing breath; from the living room there was a heavy thud as a large book hit the floor.


End file.
